General's daughter in selection spat

A Sri Lankan general has taken the country's Olympic committee to court for omitting his daughter from the swimming squad for the Sydney Games, lawyers said on Friday.

A petition filed in the Court of Appeal on Wednesday challenged the selection of 16-year-old Theekshana Ratnasekera over Radiesha Daluwatte, the teenage daughter of Joint Chief of Defence Staff, General Rohan Daluwatte.

Both girls compete in the women's 50 metres freestyle.

The petition, signed by the general, his wife and daughter, challenged the Olympic committee's decision, saying Radiesha Daluwatte's overall timings were better than Ratnasekera's.

Senior sports officials defended the selection.

"Daluwatte's times may have been better overall and she may have won the official trials, but Ratnasekera has consistently beaten her in the 50 metres freestyle," R.M.K. Ratnayake, secretary of the Sports Ministry, told Reuters.

He could not give the time Ratnasekera had clocked to qualify, but said her selection had been approved by the world swimming body FINA and the Olympic authorities in Sydney.

"Anyway, this is a wild card entry and neither of the girls has a serious chance of winning," Ratnayake said.

The petition will heard by the court on Monday.